Riding-plow



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G. VAN'DE MARK.

Riding Plow.

' No. 238,993, Patented March l'5, l 88l.

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CHARLES VAN DE MARK, OF HILLSDALE, MICHIGAN.

RIDING-PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,993, dated March 15, 1881. Application fileu September 14, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GHARLEsVAN DE MARK, of Hillsdale, in the county of Hillsdale and State of Michigan, have invented an Improved Riding-Plow; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure 1 being a top view of the machine; Fig. 2, a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a side view thereof,the adjacent wheelbein g removed; Fig. 4, an opposite-side view, the adjacent wheel being removed; Figs. 5 and 6, views of parts detached.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

My improvements belong to the class of wheel-supported plows provided with a seat on which the driver sits.

The drawings represent a bent axle or cross' frame, A, highest in the middle,with one fixed journal, at, on which the wheel B turns, and one vertically-movable journal, b, on which the other wheel, 0, turns. From the upper part of the bent axle, near one side of the same, a suitable tongue or pole, D, extends forward. The foot 0 of the seat-standard F is bolted or otherwise secured to a cross-bar, G, which unites the forward ends of two side tiltingbars, H H,the rear ends of which are connected by another cross-bar, I, from which, ora downward extension, (1, thereof, the plow K is suspended. This rear cross bar, I, is properly pivoted in the side bars, so that it may always assume a vertical position when the side bars are tilted. The plow is suspended from the crossbar I by means of a vertical lever, L, pivoted at e to the same. The forward end of the plow-beam rests in a slot, f, of a suspending-plate, M, or its equivalent, supported by some fixed part of the machineframe. The side bars, H H, of the plow-frame are centrally pivoted respectively to the inner sides of the vertical parts of the bent axle A at the proper height, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the front and rear ends of the frame may be made to rise and fall at will. As the rear end thereof is raised or lowered, so is the plow supported thereby; and the driver, sitting on the seat E, supported by the front end of the frame, descends as the plowascends, and vice versa. Thus the weight of the driver is made the seat-standard F is made adjustable forward or backward on the cross-bar G of the tilting-frame to suit the varying weight of different drivers. This may be effected by slots gg in the standard-foot and screws passed through them into the cross-bar, as shown in Fig. 6. The cross-bar G is made wide to give support to the varying positions of the standard, and to serve as a support for the feet of the driver, whereby he can govern his positions and more easily vary his leverage on the tilting-frame. I

I contemplate the employment of a deadweight (of sand or other convenient material) to be placed on the crossbar G or other convenient place on the tilting frame when desired, as when an unusually'light person--such asa boy-is the driver; and in case an unusually heavy man is driving this adj Listing-weight may be put on the rear or plowend of the tilting frame to equalize the balance. The above-described arrangement for balancing and for raising and lowering the plow accomplishes the purpose perfectly and with very little efiort to the driver when it is necessary to raise the plow out of the ground, as in turning at the ends of furrows and at other times; but in, order to steady the plow when running in the furrow, and to hold it up when raised, I make use of an adjusting-lever, N, mounted at the center of a semicircular ratchet-plate,

O, which is secured in aproper position at one side of the raised part of the bent axle. This lever is of bell-crank form, and is connected with the rear end of the plow-supportin g frame by a connecting-bar, i. A pawl-catch, j, taking into the notches of the plate 0, is actuated by a bent lever, P, on the main lever N, with a closing-spring, is, and connecting-rod l, and thus secures the lever N, and consequently the tilting frame, in the position to which it is adjusted. One or more holes,m m, are made through the notched plate'O, and a corresponding hole in the lever N, through which to put a pin, whereby the lever can be held firmlyin the required position without imposing the strain on the notches of the plate and the pawl-catch. The notched plate, as well as the plate or bar M, which sustains the forward end of the plow-beam and the tongue or pole D, is partially or wholly supported by an angular or bent brace-bar or plate, Q, extending from the lower end of one of the upright parts of the bent axle A over and upward to the other upright part, near the top thereof.

The tongue may be adjustable laterally in direction by being pivoted at its attachment to the axle, and by means of one or more ad ditional holes, at n, in the plate Q.

The side bars H H are additionally supported, where they are pivoted to the uprights of the bent axle, by plates 0 0, which are bolted at their upper ends to the said upright parts. The height of the tilting frame is adjusted absolutely by having a series of bearing-holes, p 19, in each upright and strengthening-plate, into any one of which the respective pivots q are inserted.

The lateral angular adjustment of the plow may be effected in different ways; but the means represented in the drawings are suitable and as follows: The vertical lever L is the means of adjusting the plow, its upper end extending upward behind the driver in the seat E, where he can readily reach it. From the lower end of this lever a link or stirrup, R, extends downward and embraces the plowbeam, being secured below the beam by a cross-bar and screw-nuts r r,whereby the plow .may be readily attached and detached and Another stirrup or link, b, suspended from the .bar I concentric with the lever-pivot 0.

different plow-beams may be adjusted in place.

lever-pivot 6, may similarly embrace the plowbeam to give additional strength and security to the support. As thus suspended the plow is swung laterally to any desired angle by swinging the lever L, and this lever is held for the time in any position by another areshaped notched plate, T, secured to the cross- A pawl-catch, 8, controlled by a bent lever, U, on the lever L and suitable connecting-rod and closing-spring, similar to the device for holding the lever N, above described, serves here to retain the lever L in its positions.

The lever-pivot c is represented as being situ-- ated in a round bearing, 0, of the supportingbar I, or of its downwardextension d, and where the land is smooth and free from stones this is the best arrangement; but where the ground is rough and stony, and the plow is liable to meet obstructions and he suddenly thrown upward, I employ a vertically-oblong bearing, t, Fig. 2, whereby the plow may yield freely upward to a; sufficient extent without lifting the tilting frame or joltin g or otherwise disturbing thedriver in his seat. I contemplate providing each suspending-bar with two bearings, side by side, one round and one vertically-oblong, and arranged to readily shift the pivot from one to the other, according to the condition of the ground to be plowed.

The suspending plate or bar M, in which the forward end of the plow-beam rests, is pivoted at u to its support Q, so that it may swing lattwally to the same extent as the plow at the rear end of the beam. The slot f, in which the beam rests, allows a little vertical play or adjustment of the beam therein, since this end of the beam remains at the same height while the rear end is raised andlowered.

In this machine, as in others of similar class, the axle-journal b of one wheel, 0, is movable up and down, so that the wheel can be adapted to inclined surfaces and keep the body of the machine nearly level at all times. The means shown are as follows: A nearlyvertical lever,V,is pivoted at 'v concentrically with an arc-shaped notched plate,W,mount-ed on one of the upright parts of the bent axle, over the movable journal I), being connected by a connecting rod or bar, 3 with the sliding block Y, from which thejournal b projects, this sliding block having an up and down sliding movement in a way, 2, in or on the adjacent upright part of the bent axle.

What lclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a riding-plow, a centrally-pivoted tilting frame having the plow supported by the rear end, and thedrivers seat supported wholly by the forward end thereof, and adapted to tilt independently of the tongue and main frame of the machine, whereby the weight of the driver is utilized to counterbalance and raise the plow, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In combination with the tilting frame G H H I a d the plow K, supported by the rear end thereof, the standard F of the drivers seat, arranged to be adjusted forward and backward on the said tilting frame while the pivots of the latter remain substantially in the vertical plane ofthe axle-support, substantially.

as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In combination with the centrally-pivoted tilting frame G H H I, the plow K, suspended from the rear end thereof by means of a suspending-lever, L, pivoted to the said frame so as to impart a lateral angular adjustment to the plow, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The block or hanger d, having the round bearing 0 and vert-ically-oblon g bearing t, for receiving the pivot c of the plow-suspending lever L, in combination with the tilting frame, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

The foregoing specification signed by me this 22d day of June, 1880. I

CHARLES VAN DE MARK.

Witnesses:

JOHN KENMEIER, 'l. O. WORDIN. 

